On Saturday, September 22nd, 2013 at 2:48 p.m. the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a reported shoplifting which just occurred at the Walmart located at 1725 West Hunt Highway in San Tan Valley. A Walmart loss prevention officer had contacted a male and female suspect in the parking lot after they left the store without paying for a set of luggage. The suspects became confrontational with loss prevention officer and then got into a green Chevy Blazer with the luggage and left.

A deputy responding to the call observed the suspect vehicle in the area of Rittenhouse and Combs. As the deputy was attempting to catch up to the vehicle, it pulled into a nearby church parking lot. The male suspect who was later identified as Richard Colby (age 45 of Mesa) quickly entered the church. The female suspect who was later identified as Janelle Mancuso (age 37 of Selah, Washington) stayed in the vehicle.

When deputies contacted Colby inside of the church, he claimed he was a member of the church and was involved with work along with other church members. The other church members quickly let the deputies know they did not know who Colby was.

Colby and Mancuso were both taken into custody. Initially they both provided false names. The stolen luggage was located in plain view inside of the vehicle.

PCSO Property Crime Detectives responded and took over the investigation. Inside of the vehicle the suspects had been driving, detectives discovered false photo identifications for both Colby and Mancuso along with fake checks, business cards and retail store memberships in their names. Also located in the vehicle were computers and other equipment used to create false documents.

Sheriff Paul Babeu stated, “Colby and Mancuso were both wanted for other outstanding felony and misdemeanor warrants from prior cases. This investigation determined, they used the computers and other equipment to create false identifications and checks. The suspects then purchased computers and other items and later sold them at pawn shops. Laptop computers and other equipment were seized both in their vehicle and at a pawn shop.”

Colby and Mancuso were both booked into the Pinal County Adult Detention Center for Organized Retail Theft, Fraud Schemes, Possession of Forgery Device, Forgery, Criminal Impersonation, Taking the Identity of Another Person and their outstanding warrants.